Pour-way valve



E. E. MINARD.'

FOUR-WAY VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED oEc.2o, 191s.

l ,3 1 '7,2 1 1 Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

.f n @M0/fw Se@ ERNEST E. MINARD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FOURfWAY VALVE.

Application filed December 2D, 1918.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, IQuNEs'r E. liIrNAnn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of W'ayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Four- Way Valves, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This is an improvement for that type of four-way valve disclosed in my application filed March 14, 191.8, Serial No. 222,290, and allowed Sept. 12, 1918, and wherein is shown a valve for controlling air under pressure, utilized as a motive fluid for producing a reciprocating movement of a piston in a cylinder. The fourfway valve was particularly designed for an equipment adapted for shifting the jaws of a chuck or other device, and may be briefly described as comprising a stationary ported body adapted to receive air under pressure; a reservoir Carried by Said body and adapted to maintain an intermediate pressure, and a rotary valve member carried by the Stationary body and ported so that in one position of the valve member there are two air passages therethrough; in another position motive fluid permitted to simultaneously pass through the valve member and also enter the reservoir, and in another position permit of motive fluid simultaneously exhausting from the reservoir and also passing through the rotary valve member. This constructive arrangement of ported parts permitted ofan intermediate pressure being maintained inthe reservoir to be utilized for shifting the piston, independent of the main supply o-f air used to maintain chuck jaws open or closed, or the piston in its extreme positions and in this valve I discovered that this intermediate pressure is not at all times sufiicient for the purpose for which it is intended. Even though I made provision for increasing and decreasing the capacity of the reservoir, as mentioned in my prior application, I found such means not at all satisfactory particularly from a manufacturing standpoint.

The improvement resides in a novel rosen voir or reservoir chamber and an automatic valve therein by which an intermediate or working pressure of air can be built up to meet any requirements, such, for instance as greater piston travel and to compensate for leakage. `To accomplish this it is only.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30, 191.9.

Serial No. 267.644.

necessary to use a small reservoir as irrespective of the size of a reservoir the pressure of air therein is never higher than the main line pressure, and a small reservoir for mounting purposes is particularly advantageous in an equipment for a lathe or similar piece of machinery.

The type of valve which I employ is capablo of adjustment and presents a greater area to the interior of the reservoir than to the main line pressure of air. This greater area, plus the tension or expansive force of a spring associated with the valve, causes the valve to recede or unseat only when the air pressure in the reservoir chamber drops below a required working pressure, otherwise the reservoir chamber is charged independent of any valve movement.

These improvements will be more apparent as the nature of the four-way valve is better understood by hereinafter referring to operating conditions that existed prior to the improvement, but reference will first be had to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fourway valve, partly broken away and partly 1n section, showing my improvement in connection therewith;

Fig. 2 an end view of the four-way valve in its normal position;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the same, showing` the reservoir;

Fig. 4 is a longtitudinal sectional view of the valve taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2, after the valve is adjusted to its final or extreme position;

Fig 5 is a similar view showing` an intermediate adjusted position of the valve; and,

Fig. 6 is an end view of the valve associated with a work cylinder, which is shown in section with the piston therein shifted to maintain the jaws of the chuck closed.

As before statedthe four-way valve compliSeS a Stationary body 1, a reservoir chamber 3 and a rotary valve member 7, the reservoir chamber 3, being suitably connected to onel face of the stationary body 1 and constituting a support therefor, while the rotary valve member 7 rotates against the other faceof the stationary body 1,.

In order that the functions of the valve may be understood and particularly the improvement therewith, it is necessary to considerthe four-way valve in connection with a work cylinder C, shown in Fig. 6, the

' chuck jaws either to clamp a piece of Work or to release the same. The Work cylinder may be considered as having chambers and B at the sides of the piston D, With said chambers connected by pipes F and G to the'stationary body'l of theV valve, so that motive Huid, as air, may be admitted to and exhaustedV from the chambers of the Work cylinder. i

The stationary'body 1 has an air intake port 11 adapted to communicate With a suitable source of motive fluid, as air under pressure, and said body is also provided with van exhaust port 24 open to the atmosphere. The inner end of the port 11 is open at the front faceof the valve body andis adapted to communicate With one end of the curved groove 12a in the face of the valve body, said Vgroove having its opposite end communicating With a port16 leading to an an'gleport 12 inthe rotary member 7. The port 12,"as Well as another angular port 13 inthe rotary member 7 .is formed in two.- p'arallel pl'anes,"the angle port 12 being ad# jacent the inner face ofthe rotary member and the angle port 13 adjacent the outer face thereof, said yangle port 13 communicatingf by a port 19 with a curved groove 13a `in .the outer face of therotary member. To

form the ports 12 and l13, the rotary membei' is provided With bo-res having the outer ends thereof closed by plugs 14a. Y

The angle port 12 and its groove 12a communicate with ports 15, 16, 17 in the face ofthe rotary member 7, and the angle port 13 and its groove 13a communicate With ports 18 and 19 in the face of the rotary member. 4.

The stationary valve body 1 has a port 41 communicating With fthe reservoir chamber 3, and the face of the stationary valve body 'has ports 22 and 23', besides the port 24 previouslyV mentioned. The port 22 communicates with the pipe F and the port V23 with the pipe G. Q Y

4With the staionary valve body 1 and the rotary'valve member7 ported for the *passage of air, as set forth above, the following loperations are possible, starting with the valve in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The supply of air under pressure entering the. port 11 passes through the port 17 and groove 12a into the angle port 12, then into the port 23 and throughv the pipe Gr' into chamber Arof the Work cylinder C. With the pressure of air shifting the piston D to one end of the cylinder, the chamber B exhausts through the pipe F,`port 22 into the groove 13%, angle ,port 13 and port 24 to the atmosphere. The jaws of the chuck are now maintained closed holding a piece of Work y and the piston Djis in close proximity to the end Wallof the cylinder C. This initial ad- Y Y pressure, due to previous operations of theV valve.

YBefore proceeding With a further adjustment of the valve it is thought best to con` sider the reservoir chamber, per se, shovvn in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The reservoir chamber 3 is in the form of an oblong groove or recess in the finished face of a plate 31suitably connected to the stationary valverbody 1. The outer face of the plate 31 has a split sleeve or clamping member 32 which permits of said reservoir chamber and the other parts of the valve being attached to a suitable support 33.' The split sleeve 3 2 has an offset portion 34 provided with a longitudinal bore 35 communicating With the reserf voir chamber 3, and the bore 35 has itsV Walls 85 screw threaded to receive an adjustable abutment 36 and a plug 37. The adjustable abutment 3G is engaged by the outer end e' convolution of a Vcoiled vcompression spring e 3S in the inner end of the bore 35, said spring 90 Y having other end convolutions thereof en-V circling' the stem 39 of a flat disk-shaped valve 40, Which I prefer to term afpressure building valve. 'This valve is located at one end of the reservoir chamber 3 and is held normally against the ground faceof the stationary valve body 1. In engaging the face of the valve body 1, the valve 40 normally closes a port 41 communicating with the main line pressure port 11, and this port 41 is in addition to the stationary valve body of the original four-Way valve. .Y The port 41 is necessarily of less crosssectional area than the valve 40,. consequently the valve 40 presents a greater area 105 Vin the'reservoir oh amber 3, than What it does in the port 41. 1t is this greater valvey areaVA that permits of the expansive force of the spring 38 together With the pressure of Vair l in the reservoir chamber 3 maintaining the 110 valve 40 closed against the main linejpressure in the ports 11 and 41. So, With ythe V valve 40Y normally closed, the initialS adjustment of the valve, as previously set forth, can take place independent of .the reservoir.

Considering the secondbperation of the valve or its intermediate,position prepara; tory to releasing the pressure of the jaws of the chuck or other device, a Vhandle 8 of the valve is shifted counter-clockwise to a posi- Vy tionV approximately between thirty and sev# enty degrees from initial 1 osition, and the rotary valve member 7 esta lishes porteommunication as shown inF ig. 5. The groove 12a of angle port- 12 Will establish communi- 125 lis this supply of air in the reservoir that is trapped therein for working requirements as will appear in the final or extreme adjustment of the valve. To completely open the jaws of the chuck, the handle 8 of the movable valve member 7 is shifted to a position of approximately one hundred and five degrees from its original position, thus placing` the groove 12n of the angle port 12 in the position shown in Fig. 4L. The groove 12 of the angle port `12 will establish communication between the reservoir 3 and the pipe F through ports 21, groove 12a and port 22, thereby charging the chamber B of the work cylinder' C. The groove 13a of the angle port 13 will establish communication between the pipe Gr and ports 23 and 24, thereby permitl i 'ting the chamber A to exhaust to the atmosphere. The piston D is reciprocated by the pressure of air within the chamber B and the jaws of the chuck are completely opened.

Now, should the pressure of air within the reservoir chamber 3 be reduced through communication being established between the reservoir chamber 3 and chamber B of the work cylinder and the air expanding to a larger volume or to a point where the combined pressure of air in reservoir chamber 3 and expansive pressure of spring 38 are less than air pressure on exposed area of valve 40 in port 41, the valve 40 will be unseated admitting the main line pressure of air to the reservoir chamber 3 to perform the duty required of the valve at this position of the member 7.

As before stated, working` requirements or conditions may be encountered where the pressure of air within the reservoir chamber 3 is not sufiicient to expeditiously accomplish a desired result. As an instance of a working requirement, the cylinder C may be of considerable length, and so also, the travel of the piston D. As this iston D was left in close proximity to the enc wall of the cylinder C, the greater part of the air pressure within the reservoir chamber may be utilized in starting the piston D away from the end wall of the cylinder, and with the greater part of the air pressure expended in this effort, the remaining pressure of air, as originally provided for in the four-way valve, may not be sufficient to shift the piston D throughout its predetermined path of travel. It may complete its journey but at a very slow speed, so to insure quick travel and a positive operation of the' valve, the main pressure is utilized as a reserve force to accomplish any work that cannot be performed by the air pressure stored within the reservoir chamber 3. The valve 40 can therefore be rightly considered as a pressure building valve, as such valve is only unseated, to increase the air pressure within the reservoir 3, when the pressure therein drops below a working condition. The spring 38 associated with the valve 40 is therefore of less expansive force or pressure than the main line pressure of air, so that when the pressure of air within the reservoir chamber 3 is reduced, and together with the pressure of the sprinof 38 falls below the main line air pressure, then the valve 40 will unseat and establish communication between the ports 11 and the chamber B of the cylinder C.

There is little, if any, likelihood of leakage due to the construction of the value but should there be any serious undiscovered leakage in cylinder C or its connections, the main line pressure of air will insure a working charge in the cylinder.

gBy removing the plug 37 the abutment 36 may be adjusted to regulate the expansive force of the spring 38 relative to the valve 40.

It is thought that the operation and utility of my improvement will be apparent without further description, and while in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Vhat I claim is:

1. A four-way valve comprising a valve body adapted to receive a main line pressure of air, a reservoir chamber adapted to communicate with said valve body to receive air therefrom, a rotary ported valve member carried b said valve body and adapted to admit air to said reservoir chamber from said valve body, and an automatic valve in said reservoir chamber adapted to admit air thereto independent of said rotary ported valve member.

2. A four-way valve as characterized in claim 1, and wherein adjustable means regulates the action of said automatic valve.

3. A four-way valve comprising a valve body adapted to receive a main line pressure of air, a reservoir chamber adapted to communicate with said valve body and receive air therefrom, adjustable means adapted to establish communication between said valve body and said reservoir chamber to conduct and trap a charge of air therein at the same pressure as the main line pressure of air, and means carried by said reservoir chamber adapted to establish communication between said reservoir chamber and the main pressure of air.

4:. A valve as characterized in claim i3, and wherein'sald means includes a spring pressed pressure building valve.

i5. TheV combination of a Work cylinder,

a piston therein, a valve body communicating with the -ends of said Work cylinder, and with the main line pressure of air, an adjustable valve member carried by said valve bodyvand having ports therein constructed and-arranged in .one position of ysaid valve member to'permit air entering one end yof said cylinder to shift said piston, and veX- haust -trom-the opposite end of said cylinder, in another Vposition to permit of air being stored the reservoir and equa-lized at the vsides of said piston, and yin another position to. permit of the vstored ai-r `entering 'one end of said cylinder and the opposite end thereof exhausting, and means adapted to Vestablish communication between the main adapted to establish communication between said valve body and said Areservoir chamber toconduct and trap a charge of air therein at the same pressure as the mainr line pressure of ai-r, and means carriedby 'said reservoir chamber adapted to establish communication ybetweenl said reservoir chamber and v(lopies of this :paten'tmay be obtained for said valve body toy replenish and build up* the pressure of said l.charge of air When the pressure vthereof is suddenly reduced and' with a main line pressure of air, zanadjust-f able valve member, carried by said valve body and :having ports therein constructed and arranged in one position ofsaid valve member to permit air enteringone end of said cylinder to :shift said piston, and exe haust from the opposite tend of said cylinder, in :another position to permit of air being admitted to a reservoir chamber and in the same position permitting the pressure oit' air in the ychambers on each side fof said piston to be equalized by communication being established between `the said chambers of the Work cylinderv through said -valve body and said ported adjustable valve .member and in another position :to permit the air Lstored in the reservoir chamber to enter at one end of said Work cylinder and the other end to eX'haust,and: means adapted to establish communication between the mai-n line pressure of airV and vthe air' admitted to and'stored in the reservoir chamber to replenish and increase the pressure of air :in the said reservoir chamber.

In testimony whereof I aIiX mysignature in :the presence of 'tWo Witnesses.

Witnesses Y KARL BUTLER, ANNA 'M.Y Donn.

ve cents each, ibyaddressngthe -"-,Commissioner of ,Patents Washington, D. C. p n

,ERNEST n MINARn 

